After appropriate preparation, it is possible with a microtome to remove tissue sections that are only a few micrometers thick. The sample to be sectioned must be delivered to the microtome, and must be clamped therein for reliable sectioning. DE 199 11 173 A1 describes a sample holder for a microtome in which a sample received in the sample holder can be aligned in motorized fashion relative to the sectioning plane, and can be preset in motorized fashion onto the blade. The high risk of injury from the blade of the microtome can thereby already be reduced. Handling of the samples and sections, however, is still performed manually: the sample (usually a cassette having tissue embedded in paraffin) must be manually clamped into the sample holder. Because sample changing takes place in the vicinity of the blade of the microtome, an elevated risk of injury continues to exist here.
It is therefore desirable in this context also to automate activities that have hitherto still been carried out manually, in order to further reduce the risk of injury to the user. An initial prerequisite for automated sample changing is creation of a simple, automatable capability for retaining and releasing the sample in the sample holder.